Engine.



w. L. SHEPARD.

ENGNE.

APPLICATION FILE-D APR.13.1918.

1,283,575.. 'Patented Nov. 5, 1918..

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A 7" far/7E g W. L. SH'EPARD.

ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. x3. 19m

v 1,283,575. Patented Nov.v 5, 1918.

HEET 3.

3 SHEETS-S UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WIIBUR L. SHEPARD, OF ELMWOOD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 THE WORLD GAS ENGINE COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION 0F MAINE.

ENGINE.

Specication of LettersA Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 1918.

Application led April 13, 1918. Serial No. 228,484.

To all tvhom t may concern:

Elmwood, in the -county of Hartford and Statevof Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to engines. An engine involving the invention can be employed with advantage in many different fields; as an illustration I might mention its use in conjunction with an automobile. It can be also utilized with any necessary modifications for the propulsion of an aeroplane. In like manner the motive agent may be of any suitable character, although a hydrocarbon such for instance as gasolene answers the purpose 1n a satisfactory way.

I have several fundamental purposes in view as I will more fully set forth in the following description, wherein I will outline in detail that forni of embodiment of the invention which I have selected for illustration in the accompanying drawings forming part ofthe present specification. As will be obvious I do not restrict myself to this particular disclosure; I, may depart therefrom in several respects within the scope of the invention defined by the claims following said description. To return again to the initial motive of the invention; it is the production of an'engine by which the use of valves certainly those of the ordinary type are wholly eliminated, in View of which circumstance certainty of action, ysimplicity of construction, ready assemblage of parts and like factors are possible,

Referring to said drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of an engine involving the invention.

Like characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

The engine comprises 1n its construction a main shaft such as that denoted ,in a' general way by 2. This main shaft in the present case is fixed or stationary as is the correspondingV part in my contemporaneously lto said ball-bearing 20 is pending application filed September 19, 1917, Serial No. 192,062. Associated With the main shaft 2 is what might be considered a cylinder-carrier such as that denoted in a general way'by 3. As shown said cylinder-carrier is in the form of a spool and involves a hub or elongated sleeve 4 fitted around and supported by the main shaft 2, and two end flanges 5 and 6. There may be any desirable number of cylinders as 7, five of them being shown. Each is supported by the rotary carrier 3 for revolution around the main shaft 2; the cylinders are spaced equal distances apart and the ends of them have external threads to fit corresponding threads in openings as 8 in the end flanges 5 and 6 respectively as shown for instance and probably best in Fig. l.

Each cylinder contains a piston 9 to the inner or forward end of which is ljointed a pitrnan or rod 10,l the forward ends of the several pitmen or rods being articulated in turn to cranks as 11. These cranks extend as 13 extending outward from the respective cranks 11, the latter respectively having inwardly extending and coaxial gudgeons 14 which are rotatively fitted in radial hubs 15 of the sleeve 16 which is fitted to and surrounds that part of the shaft 2 inclosed in the casing 12. Fastened to the inner gudgeons 14 as by screw-threading, are suitable gears as the bevel pinions 17,4 the teeth of which as shown are'in mesh with those of a master bevel gear 18 made rigid for instance by screw-threading, with and surrounding the main shaft 2 forward of the carrier 3.

, Said carrier 3 has a seat or cavity 19 to receive the ball-bearing 20 fitted to and around'the shaft 2. The inner member of the ball-bearing las will be clear is rigid with the shaft 2 while the outer member of.it is rigid and turns with the carrier 3. Adjacent a second bearing 21', it and the adjacent face of the master bevel gear 18 having peripheral grooves or channels to receive the balls of said bearing 21. The bearing 20 is vto take care of radial thrusts, while the bearing 21 compensates for end thrusts.

The sleeve 16 has an annnular flange 22 fastened as by the screws 23 to the outer or forward wall of the casing l2. This casing it might be noted contains the several gears and adj unctive devices which I have described, and it may be filled or partly filled by suitable oil to lubricate the parts mentioned. The flange 22 has a cavity 24 to receive a ball-bearing 25, the inner member of the ball-bearing being rigid with and surrounding the shaft 2 while the outer member thereof is tightly fitted in the cavity 24 so as to rotate with the carrier 3 and casing l2. The balls of this bearing 25 compensate for radial thrust. Surrounding the two just outside the casing l2 is the. hub 26 provided with the flange or web Q7 connected as by screws 28 with the casing l2. This hub 26 has extending from it the hollow shaft 29 which as will be understood rotates with the casing l2 and carrier 3. The shaft 29, therefore, presents a convenient means for applying the power of the engine. Around the .shaft 2 is a ball'bearing 30 set in the concavity 3l of the left head or Hange 5 of the spool-like carrier 3, this ballbearing being adapted to compensate for radial thrusts, the adjacent ball-bearing 3Q compensating for end thrusts.

Tn the ordinary acceptation of the term the engine is really valveless. That is to say there are no puppet, globe or like valves such as are customarily found in the usual gas engine. There is a valve mechanism, however, of quite novel character as will later herein appear. Surrounding what is shown as the left end of the shaft 2 is the annular member 40 (F ig. 3) which might be considered as a combined supply and exhaust controlling element, because as shown it functions both in the delivery of the necessary agent to and the exhaust of the exploded agent from the several revoluble cylinders. This annular member comprises a hub 4l which can be connected as by the key 42 to the shaft 2, the part 40 bearing against the outer member of the ball-bearing 32 and being abutted in turn by the sleeve 43 threaded to the shaft Each of the heads of the cylinders 7, the

heads being located at the left in Fig. l, has

as shown an approximately central opening 44 in which are respectively fitted the nipples or sleeves 45, there being as will be understood tive of such nipples or sleeves. As shown the latter extend inwardly from the annular member or ring- 4G which it might be explained tits at all times flatwise against the circular or ring body 47 of the annular member 40. As a matter of fact the annular member 46 is constantly yieldingly pressed against the circular or ring body 47 and for accomplishing this particular result, the springs 48 are shown, there being five of such springs. They respectively surround nipples 49 projecting rearwardly from the ends of the cylinders 7 and their terminals tit channels 50 and 5l formed respectively in said cylinder ends and ring 46. Obviously the annulus or ring 46 rotates or revolves and by this the supply and exhaust of the necessary fluid is accomplished in proper order. The annular body 47 as shown has an opening 52 for instance for the supply of the necessary operating agent to one or more cylinders, and it has further a practicallysimilar opening 53 by which the exhaust can be accomplished. Fitted in the openings 52 and 53 are ducts or pipes as 54 and 55 respectively, the pipe 54 in the pres ent instance being connected to a suitable source of supply which is assumed to be gasolene vapor, while the pipe 55 opens t0 atmosphere. The ring or circular portion 47 has as shown the elongated slot 56 which is practically of arcuate formation, the curvature conforming practically to that of said part 47. This slot or arcuate opening 56 is intersected by or is in direct communication with the supply opening or inlet 52. The part 47 has a second segmental slot 57 virtually a duplicate of the slot 56. The ring 47 consequently presents a circular runway for the complemental ring 4G., Tt will be understood, of course, that the length of the slots 56 and 57 is considerably less than the extent of the annular part Two ends of the two slots'are comparatively close together, although there is a considerable distance between the other two ends. As it might otherwise be explained, the head end of the slot 56 is adjacent the tail end of the slot 57, while there is a considerable distance between the tail end of said slot 57 and the tail end of the Slot 56. As T have already stated the duct or pipe 54 is connected with a suitable source of supply, and it will be supposed that the supply is on and that the cylinders 7 are revolvingwith their carrierV 3. rThe ring 4G obviously turns with the cyl inders and carrier, and when a tube as 45 reaches the slot 52 a supply of gaseous fluid enters the cylinder associated with said sleeve 45, as said cylinder revolves, the supply being stopped when the sleeve comes to the uncut portion of the part 40. lVhen the firing pin is reached, the gaseous charge at this time being compressed, the charge will be fired, and as the cylinder continues its rotation and at the proper point, the tube 45 under discussion will come opposite the slot 57, so that the spent charge will pass into the slot 57 and thus into the opening and duct or pipe 55 to atmosphere.

Between the tail end of the slot and the head end of the slot 57, there is means for firing each compressed charge, and the means shown for this purpose will now be set forth. Each cylinder is equipped with a plug 58 extending through its head at a proper point and adapted to travel on the insulating ring 59. The shaft 2 supports the carrier 60V equipped with the pin 61 adapted to be engaged by the outer spherical end of each plug 58 as the cylinders revolve so as to successfully explode the charges therein.

The shaft 2 asshown has at one endfor instance the left in Fig. 1, a cavity or chamber 65 in which is fitted the plug 66 which may be of screw form. From this cavity leads the channel or passage 67 extending longitudinally of the shaft and for practically its entire length. The chamber or cavity 65 by removing the plug 66 ma be supplied with lubricant which flows a ong the channel or passage 67. The latter is provided with branches as 68 and 69 for instance for `conducting the lubricant to the anti-friction bearings towhich Ihave referred. It may have the furtherbranches 68 for the supply of the lubricant to 4the gearing and associated parts and may have other branches as 70 and 71 leading therefrom to lubricate other parts.

The group of cylinders 7 is surrounded by rings or bands 7 5 and 76 near the ends thereof, and to these rings are fitted as by screws 77, the arcuate scoops or blades78. The rear ends of these blades or scoops 78 are flared outwardly as at 79, the forward ends of the scoops or fan blades 78 having elongated slots 81. The blades as will be seen upon inspection for instance of Fig. 2, extend outwardly a short distance beyond the circumference of the spool or carrier 3, their rear ends abutting against the rear cylinders. The blades, however, extend uninterruptedly between the ends 5 and 6. As the carrier rotates, the scoops-or blades draw in air which is directed against the surfaces of the respective cylinders, and escapes to atmosproximately annular order by the carrier, each of the cylinders having an opening, a member provided with tubes extending into said openings, a second member fitted fiat- A wise against the other member and having an opening, springs surrounding the tubes and acting against the first member and tending to force the same into contact with the seconrd member, and means for securing a relative movement of the two members to place the openings of the tubes into register with the opening of the second member.

8. The combination of a carrier, a plurality of engine cylinderssupported in approximately 'annular order by the carrier, each of the cylinders having an opening, an annular member provided with tubes extending into the said openings, a second annular member fitted atwise against the other annular member and having an opening, and means for securing a relative rotation of the two annular members to bring the openings of the tubes successively into register with the opening in said second annular member.

4. The combination of a carrier, a plurality' of eng-'ine cylinders supported in approximately annular order bythe carrier, each of the cylinders having an opening, an annular member provided with tubes extending into said openings, a second annuphere through the slots 8l. This eectually and adequately cools the several cylinders. What I claim is: 1. The combination of a carrier, a plurality of engine cylinders, supported in approximately annular order by the carrier, each of the cylinders having an opening, a member provided with tubes extending into said openings, a second member fitted flatwise against the first member and having an opening, means for yieldingly forcing the two members into contact with each other, and means for securing a relative each of the cylinders havlng an opening, an annular member provided with tubes extending into said openings, spring means acting against said annular member and tending constantly to force the same outwardly, a second annular member fitted flatwise against the other annular member and having an opening, and means for securing -cessively into register with the opening in said Ysecond annular member.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

, WILBUR L. SHEPARD. Witnesses:

L. L. MARKEL, HEATH SUTImImAND. 

